Two Rotterdam trams crash on Erasmus Bridge; At least 15 hurt
Last update 1:34 p.m.
Two RET trams collided on the Erasmus Bridge in the center of Rotterdam on Wednesday morning. At least 15 people are injured, including one who was rushed to the hospital with critical injuries.
According to Rijnmond, paramedics are treating people inside the tram as well as on the road. One person was trapped inside the tram. Firefighters freed them, and they were taken to the hospital.
Veiligheidsregio Rotterdam-Rijnmond initially reported that 18 people were injured, including two critically, but later updated the figures.
The accident happened at around 11:10 a.m. and could be seen on Rotterdam’s webcam. One of the trams approached from the city center at high speed. The other tram was stopped in front of an open bridge. The oncoming tram rammed it hard in the rear. The wreckage is enormous. Multiple pieces of debris fell to the ground and glass scattered everywhere. One of the trams derailed.
A spokesperson for the fire department told NOS that two cars also sustained damage.
Emergency services responded in large numbers. Dozens of first responders are at the scene, helping victims. The road is filled with police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances.
Transport company RET cannot yet comment on the cause of the accident. "We have seen the images and are deeply shocked. We sympathize with the victims and the passengers present."
An RET spokesperson told NOS that the trams are equipped with a dead man's switch, a button or pedal that the tram driver must keep pressed continuously. If the button is released, the tram will stop automatically.
The power has been cut from the overhead lines, and the Erasmus Bridge is closed to all types of traffic for the time being.
Previous accident
A little over a year ago, on July 11, 2025, two RET trams collided on Kruisplein in Rotterdam’s city center. Eight people were injured in that accident. They all sustained relatively minor injuries, but three people had to go to the hospital for treatment.
